In the past, boattail configurations were created by reducing the exit diameter of the main motor nozzle to provide a space for the boattail. This is not desirable in that the diameter at the exit end of the nozzle must be as large as the diameter of the rocket motor or nearly as large as the diameter of the rocket motor in order to insure maximum motor performance at boost. Therefore, previous considerations of a boattailed configuration at the end of a missile were unacceptable. Therefore, it is seen that some other approach to providing a missile with a boattail is needed.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a missile with a boattail by severing a portion of the motor nozzle after burnout of the rocket motor by severing or cutting a portion of the rocket nozzle off to leave a boattail configuration on the outer surface of the missile.
Another object of this invention is to provide a missile with a structure in which the boattail arrangement can be provided and at the same time have a motor nozzle exit end with a diameter as large as the diameter of the rocket motor.
Other objects and advantages of this invention will be obvious to those skilled in this art.